


From Black to Blue

by romanticalgirl



Series: Nowhere [2]
Category: Dawson's Creek
Genre: F/M, Reconciliation, Verbal Humiliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-13
Updated: 2014-02-13
Packaged: 2018-01-12 04:41:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1182036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romanticalgirl/pseuds/romanticalgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Originally posted 9/10/01</p>
    </blockquote>





	From Black to Blue

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted 9/10/01

Pacey stared at the sinking sun, watching as the dying light filtered through the trees. Rubbing the back of his hand against his forehead, he sighed and lowered the beer bottle to his lips.

"You're a hard man to find."

"Not hard enough." He sighed again and faced the petite redhead behind him. "What's the problem now, Margot?"

"Nothing. This is actually all routine busy work that I do to make you think I'm worth the money you pay me. You haven't actually signed a real legal document in two years."

"And you've restructured everything so that you're the real power behind the throne?"

"And you're the impotent figurehead." Margot nodded. "Yup."

He grinned and finished off his beer, "Let's go easy on the impotent comments, huh?"

"Right," she nodded conspiratorially and followed him to a nearby table. "Wouldn't want to damage your reputation with the ladies."

"Exactly." He took the sheaf of papers from her hand and leafed through them, muttering noncommittally at their content. Taking the pen she offered, he signed three of the documents then made notations on the others. "Tell Bridges to stop fucking around. He wastes my time again, he's looking for someone new."

"Yes, sir."

"And tell Jeffers to make this more clear. I don't want a shred of ambiguity."

"Yes, sir."

"And stop calling me sir."

Margot grinned as he looked up, his scowl not fazing her. "Yes, sir."

"Christ." He looked down at the contract in his hand. "Everything set up for this weekend?"

"Yes."

"Bremen's ready to sign?"

"After the obligatory wining and dining," she agreed. "I'm expecting a fax from Harding, which I will need you to sign. You coming back up to the house any time soon? Or did you plan on wallowing in the shadowy darkness out here for a little while longer?"

"It's a remote, secluded island," Pacey reminded her. "Why are you pestering me again?"

"Because I get paid to." Margot gathered the all the papers together and tapped them on the table as she stood up. "Bremen is supposed to fly in tonight. It's going to be late. Did you plan on staying up for it?"

"I don't have much choice, do I? Harding would have my head if I didn't treat him and his guests like some sort of royalty." Pacey shook his head and rubbed his forehead again. "I suppose I should shower and get dressed in my suit, huh?"

"Actually, I just think dress casual would be nice," Margot reached for his hand and tugged him upward. Pacey let her pull her into a standing position and gathered up his lone beer bottle. "You'll have to do the suit thing at the dinner party tomorrow night, so go for something a little less restrained tonight."

"And if he comes off the copter looking like something off GQ?"

"Not all the guys on the cover of GQ wear suits." Margot fell into step beside him as he started up the trail toward the house. "Besides, he's 80 years old and wrinkly. No matter what you wear, you're going to look better than him."

"And that's what I was going for."

"Besides, he's probably half blind. Maybe he has some memory loss and he'll think you're his long lost nephew. That could work to our advantage."

"The deal is advantage enough," Pacey swung open the wrought iron gate that dissected the path and let Margot pass through it first. "How many people is he bringing tonight?"

"Well, his wife and the rest of the entourage should show up the night of the signing. For tonight, it's just him, his secretary and…some girl."

"Some girl?"

"She's a new twist to the deal. I'm not quite sure." Margot pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. "Jim Bremen. Secretary Jessica Kennedy." Her eyebrows shot up. "He's not bringing a lawyer."

"The lawyers have gone over the deal," Pacey reminded her.

"Well, this girl is their spokesperson. Or model or something. Nothing real clear. Just something vague about her being important to the product. And a name."

"Jim, Jessica and…?"

"Josephine Potter."

Pacey stopped. "What the fuck did you just say?"

"Josephine…" Margot stopped as well and looked back at Pacey. "What's wrong?"

"Get on the phone to Bridgemont. Tell him I want to know everything there is to know about how this girl is important to this product. I want to know if she's a make or break thing. And I want to know why I wasn't informed of all the guests more than six hours before their arrival."

Margot rushed after him as he started walking again, racing up the hill. "Pacey? What's wrong?"

He whirled around as he reached the door of the house, a hard expression on his face. "Just do it, Margot. I'm going to shower and change. After that I'll be in the study and I want answers. And I damn well want them before I have to walk out onto that concourse and meet that helicopter. Understood?"

She nodded, "Yes, sir."

"Good."

 

~**~  
"Mr. Witter?"

Pacey looked up from the papers on his desk to Margot, who was standing in the doorway of the study. He sighed and smiled weakly. "Pacey."

"Right. After that tirade?" She walked into the room and sat opposite him. "I got the information you wanted. With…" she glanced at her watch. "Three hours to spare."

"You're the best."

"I am. Which should entitle me to an explanation, right?" She set the cup off coffee she was holding in front of him. "No cream. Two sugars."

"You never bring me coffee."

"Of course not. We have underpaid lackeys for that. However, since none of them were invited to the swank, island getaway, I figured I could do it, thereby giving myself more leverage for insisting that you tell me what's going on." Pacey took a sip from the cup and smiled his thanks, holding out his hand for the file she held. "Nu-uh. Not until I get what I came for."

"Josephine Potter is a girl I used to know. And I don't like surprises. Especially ones that could affect the way I handle this job, since the last time I saw Joey, we didn't exactly part on the best of terms. So I need to know how vital she is to this deal."

"What do you mean by not on the best of terms?"

Pacey sighed again and rubbed his left eye with one of his knuckles. "We used to date. And it ended badly. Then it ended better. Then…well, then it ended really badly."

"How badly?"

"Enough that I wouldn't be surprised if it soured this deal, which is why I requested this information, which I really hope you intend on passing across this desk sometime soon, so that I don't have to find myself someone who will do the job without being so damn nosy."

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "You're asking for me to walk out of here, aren't you?"

"This deal is big one, Margot. You know exactly how big. And I don't want it blown. Mr. Harding wouldn't appreciate it, and I'm sure you wouldn't either from the spot beside me on the unemployment line."

Margot handed the file across the desk. "You're such a drama queen."

"Yeah. That's me. Always exaggerating." He gave her a pointed look. "Remember the Freeport crisis?"

"Of course."

"Remember what I said to you before that all went down?"

Margot stopped for a moment then took a deep breath. "Okay, you want the synopsis from me or do you want to read the whole thing?"

"I've got time. I'll read. We'll sum up later. Notify me as soon as they're within air space. And I want to be on the concourse when they land." She nodded and started toward the door, stopping when Pacey called her name. "Thanks. And be on your toes."

"I always am."

"The coffee's great."

"I know."

Pacey chuckled as she shut the door behind her, secluding him in the mahogany laced room. Setting his coffee aside, he kicked his heels onto the desk and leaned back, opening the file slowly.

Her picture jumped out at him, as he expected it to. What he didn't expect was how much she'd changed. The picture seemed a portrait of self-confidence. She was wearing make-up; she held herself with style; she was dressed impeccably. But underneath it all, she was still Joey. And he didn't know whether that pissed him off or excited him.

~**~  
"Pacey?" Margot opened the study door and walked up to the desk. It was littered with papers, the ashtray filled with whole cigarettes, apparently stubbed out immediately after they'd been lit. The file in front of him was open to a picture of a stunning woman. "Is that her?"

"Yes."

"She's pretty."

"Yeah. Well." He lit another cigarette, then killed it before taking a drag. "I haven't smoked in ten years."

"Well, you're still not smoking. That should comfort you."

He managed a smile. "Okay, here's the deal. Anything and everything they want. It needs to be here, it needs to be done as quickly as possible. If this deal gets thwarted it's going to be obvious that it's from her animosity towards me, rather than anything we've done. Then we might be able to work some sort of verbal agreement breach of contract. Understood?"

"Absolutely."

"Tell the rest of the staff. No screw-ups. Mr. Harding has every intention of this being the big push at the stockholders' meeting. I want nothing, and I do mean nothing, bad traced back to us. Make sure that's crystal clear."

"Right."

"And Margot? I'm talking Waterford."

"Yes, sir." She watched his gaze drift back down to the picture. "Can I ask you one question, Mr. Witter?"

He looked up at the sound of his last name, surprised. "Yes?"

"Are your feelings going to be a problem in this? You say things ended badly. But you also said things ended well. So if there are some residual feelings on your end, they could be just as potentially hazardous as any animosity she might feel toward you."

"I've been shut of Joey Potter for ten years now. I don't think about her, and if she weren't flying in on a helicopter in a couple of hours, I wouldn't be giving her any space in my life right now."

"So why are you staring at her picture like she broke your heart into a million pieces?"

He smirked and gave a little sigh of a laugh. "You remember the first time you were in love? Not just 'my first sex and it must be love, even though it's closer to affection and the need for therapy'," he ignored her look and kept talking, "Or 'this person seems to get me and want to help me and be with me and is obviously hiding some deep-seated mental illness that will eventually shatter our relationship when she sleeps with a fellow hospital patient' kind of love, but the real kind. The kind where you don't seem to notice the other person's faults or, even worse, they seem cute to you? The kind where you realize it must all be your fault that she's still preoccupied with her best friend and first crush because you're not enough of an interesting person to hold her attention? The kind where you completely lose control of who you are and what you do, ending up practically emasculated because you want her to be with you so much?"

"Uh…no."

"That's Joey Potter. She was in love with my best friend most of her life and then we fell for each other. No plans to, we just…we found something in each other. We were perfect for each other. And I loved her more than I've ever loved anyone in my entire life."

"And still do?"

"Yeah." He closed the file quietly. "But you always love that person. Doesn't make them anything more than someone you used to sleep with in the grand scheme of things. Doesn't make you…" He paused, the word stuck in his throat. "Soulmates."

"Soulmates? Who believes in crap like that anymore?" Margot laughed derisively. "If I were waiting for my soulmate, I'd be single until I died. Because they don't exist. Yeah, you click with people. Yeah, you have common interests, you think the same, you like each other, you love each other. That's compatibility, not soulmates." She gave him a speaking glance. "You don't believe in that, do you?"

"No." He pushed the file away and grabbed the ashtray, dumping the carcasses in the trash. "But Joey did."

"Well, then you're better off without her."

Pacey stood up and nodded his agreement. "I'm gonna change. How long now?"

"Half an hour."

"Let's get it done."

~**~  
Pacey stood at the edge of the platform, staring off into the distance rather than at the blinding lights of the descending helicopter. Margot stood beside him, tapping her fingers against her clipboard. "Are you nervous?"

She shook her head, raising her voice to be heard over the roar of the blades. "I'm acting out for you."

"I'm not nervous."

She cast a pointed look at his hands, which were clenched into fists. "Right." The helicopter settled on the ground, the blades slowing, the harsh noise dying with them. Margot looked at Pacey once more. "It's all about the deal."

He nodded, staring straight ahead. "It's all about the deal." Striding forward purposefully, Pacey was beside the copter as the door swung open and the entire party spilled out. He helped Jim Bremen down from the ledge then held out a hand for secretary.

"Jessica." He helped her down, knowing that Margot would step in immediately and guide her off to the side to the wheelchair they had waiting. Finally, he turned to the door and held out his hand once again, bracing himself when he felt fingers curl around it.

Joey stepped off the plane like a model on the runway, not a hair out of place, despite the dying whirl of the helicopter. She met his gaze with her own horrified one and, with an internal sigh of relief he realized she'd had no idea he was who she was meeting. "Miss Potter."

Joey's eyes flew to the Bremen's for a moment before she looked back at Pacey and nodded jerkily. He took her elbow and guided her over to the rest of the party, glancing quickly to make sure that someone was getting their luggage and that someone was behind Jessica's wheelchair, starting toward the house.

"Jim," Pacey jogged up beside the Bremen's, clasping the older man's hand. "It's good to see you again. I know Tom is disappointed that he wasn't able to be here to greet you."

"Bullshit. You know and I know that Tom Harding is a cheap-assed idiot who knows that the only reason I'm even considering a deal with his business is because you're the only man who puts a blush on my wife's cheeks." He shook Pacey's hand vigorously. "Well, that and I stand to make a shitload of money off of this."

"We've got the house set up for you. And there's a simple buffet dinner waiting. I know you must be hungry."

"Starved. But we knew you'd take care of us so we didn't bother to eat on the way."

"Well, it's just right here in the main dining room. I figured something casual tonight while we hash through the deal one last time and then tomorrow, Tom will be here and we'll get this deal going."

"Actually, we won't."

Pacey stopped walking. "Pardon?"

Jim Bremen laughed. "Oh, don't worry. The deal should still go through. But I won't hash it over with you. Margot and Jessica are going to run through it with Joey and, should she agree, we'll all be on our way to making some serious money."

"That'd be…great." Pacey managed a tight smile. "But, regardless of the business aspect of the evening, I'm starving."

~**~  
Conversation was light through the simple buffet dinner, although the food was top notch. Pacey sipped wine he knew nothing about, other than a bottle of it cost more than a year of his salary, and watched Joey through narrowed eyes.

She looked amazing. In person, he could see things the photograph never showed. Things like how her eyes lit up when she was happy, laughing like she was with Jessica and Margot. The way her hair shone in firelight. The way her body moved.

"Fuck," he whispered to himself, shifting in his seat as Mr. Bremen sat across from him.

"She's stunning, isn't she?"

"She is."

"She said you two knew each other?"

"We grew up in the same small town. She dated my best friend."

"Ah." He nodded.

"How…in what capacity does she work for you?"

"Are you asking if I'm cheating on my wife with her?"

"No, sir. I'm not asking that at all."

"Mmm." He looked at Joey for a long minute, his eyes intense. "She's a market analyst. She's managed to pick the last three hottest trends with minimal research. She has a knack for it and, unless Joey Potter says that this deal goes through…" he let the sentence hang in the air. "Well, if you ladies…and gentleman will excuse me, I'm going to bed."

Margot stood up, "I'll show you to your room."

"Not necessary. Just please make sure that Jessica is taken care of. And Josephine, of course."

"Night, Jim," Joey smiled at him, ignoring Pacey as she had all night. She stood up. "If you don't mind, I think I'd like to go to bed as well. Absorb all this information."

"Certainly." Margot looked at Jessica who nodded. "I'll show them all to their rooms, Mr. Witter."

"Night, Margot. Ladies." He nodded to Mr. Bremen, who had taken Joey's arm. "Jim."

He smiled back at him. "Goodnight, Pacey."

~**~  
He paced a quick path through the center of his bedroom, wearing down the thick carpet with the bare soles of his feet. He froze as he heard the door open, the soft click muted by the dark wood that lined the walls.

He turned slowly and stared at her standing there in nothing but a long, flowing bathrobe made of something that shimmered in the light of his bedside lamp. She stopped in front of him, looking him over. He was dressed in his white, dress shirt and dark slacks, shirt untucked and slacks unfastened, the zipper down slightly. She smiled and met his eyes. "Surprised to see me?"

"Not really."

"Waiting for me?" She slipped the robe off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor, standing there naked in front of him. "You haven't been able to keep your eyes off of me since I got off that helicopter, have you?"

He shook his head, walking closer to her. "No."

"You know what I want, don't you?"

This time he nodded, taking her hand and leading her to his bed. She sat down, watching him as he knelt, fully clothed between her legs.

"I know what you want, too." She grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. "And I think we're both very clear on what you're going to have to do to get it."

Pacey gave her a sly, cocky smile as he bent his head down, his hands against her stomach, pushing her flat on the bed. As she lay back, she slid his hands between her thighs, his thumbs parting the swollen, rosy flesh.

Joey moved her hips, pushing her body closer to his willing mouth, gasping as his tongue slipped past the parted flesh and found her clit. He ignored the soft sounds she made as he slid a finger inside her, feeling the warmth of her surround him as he extended his tongue fully and let the hard, cool metal of his stud sweep over her clit.

"Oh, fuck," she gasped as he teased the metal over the throbbing nub, guiding it with his teeth as he slipped two more fingers inside her. He fucked her silently, listening to her soft groans of pleasure as she writhed around him, her legs over his shoulders, her heels digging into his back. Her fingers dug into his hair, pushing him deeper against her.

Pacey obliged, teasing her, his tongue flickering over her clit hungrily as her body tightened around him, and he lowered his tongue to his fingers, lapping up the heady rush of her climax as she bit her lower lip, practically drawing blood as her teeth sunk deeper to hold back her scream.

Her fingers broke skin as she pulled him up on top of her, his body still fully clothed as she sucked his tongue into her mouth, tasting herself on the metal stud. Her hands kept moving, stripping off his white dress shirt. They both heard the sound of it ripping, but neither cared as she broke the kiss and sank her teeth into his shoulder, her gaze locked on the high mark of his tattoo.

Pacey pulled himself off the bed, dragging her with him as he stood, his hand sliding between them as he unzipped his pants the rest of the way and pushed them down to the floor.

Joey released him and walked around him, her fingers scraping over the silk boxers he still wore as she stared at the dark blue of his tattoo. Her teeth grazed the skin before her tongue darted out, tracing the compass markings.

Her nails dug into his skin slightly as she moved the boxers down, letting them fall down his legs so that he was naked as well. Pacey growled low as he turned, capturing her in his arms and lifting her, holding her body to his.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling the tip of his cock pressed against her. She moved in his arms, urging him inside her. Pacey pulled her away and set her down, moving toward his nightstand. She grabbed his arm and turned him back toward her. He shook his head. "I don't know where you've been."

"But you suspect?"

He gave her a practiced shrug. "Whatever you want, Jo."

She selected a condom from the drawer and handed it to him. "I do know where you've been. Put it on." He did as she said, tossing the wrapper on the bed. "It's been a long ten years." She raked her nails down his chest and wrapped her hand around his cock. "Too fucking long."

She was in his arms in an instant and he had her pinned against the wall before she could speak. The breath rushed out of her as his weight held her in place, his hands exploring her curves. She bit at his lips as he kissed her, short and unsatisfying until he grabbed her hips and held her still as he slid up inside her.

Joey groaned as he impaled her, gasping as he pushed up into her, again and again, every time driving deeper. She tightened her legs around his waist and wrapped her arms around his neck, grinding down against him.

Pacey's hands curved under her ass, supporting her as they stumbled away from the wall to the open French doors, moving out into the cool air of the balcony. He rested her against the railing and held onto the thick, smooth plank of wood as he pushed up inside her, her hands wrapped around the opposite side of it as she thrust against him, her mouth sucking at the warm skin of his neck.

Pacey grunted softly as he came, jerking upwards, his body spasming inside hers. Joey shivered around him, her body tightening as she came as well, her heels digging into the back of his thighs as her teeth dug into her shoulder once more.

He eased her down and away from him, glancing out at the night below them. The sudden danger of having sex on a third-floor balcony hit him and he looked over at Joey. She'd walked back into the bedroom and slipped her robe on, barely giving him a cursory glance as she walked out of the room.

~**~  
Pacey leaned against the open doors and stared out at the beach below. A warm, soft breeze, smelling of the ocean, drifted through the house, assaulting him like a welcome lover.

"You're up early."

"I had a restless night." He didn't turn to look at her as she walked in the room, heading in his direction. He felt her behind him, her body dangerously close. "You?"

"Slept like a baby." She moved around him to stand on the stairs that led out of the house, standing just below him, her hair whipping lightly against him. "What kept you tossing and turning?"

"Just doing some thinking."

She looked over her shoulder at him, her smile slow and seductive. "About?"

"You."

"Good." She turned to face him, reaching up to unbutton his shirt. "All dressed up. I bet all the folks in Capeside would be impressed with the new you."

"Not so new."

"Obviously not. I noticed the stud is still in place."

"The women like it."

"Do they?"

"You seemed to."

"I took acting lessons in college." He watched her hand as she finished opening his shirt, her fingers tangling in the dark hair on his chest and lower stomach. "I can pretty much make you think I like anything."

"I'll keep that in mind when I watch you with Bremen."

"You like to watch now? And here I always thought you were a hands on kind of guy." She dropped her hand down to his jeans, unbuttoning the fly slowly. "You certainly seemed to use your hands last night."

His voice was husky as she slid her hand beneath his boxers. His hand curled around the edge of the door for support. "You complaining?"

"Not yet." Her hand curled around his cock, her thumb teasing over the head. She watched him as his eyes narrowed, his body tensing. "How much does it kill you to want me this badly?"

He caught his breath as her hand smoothed down the length of him then curled around his balls. Swallowing hard, he reached out to touch her, smoothing his thumb over her breast. "I want…"

"I don't give a fuck about what you want." She smiled at him, her eyes alight with triumph.

"So long as I want you?" He was barely breathing the words as she stroked him, his boxers and jeans low on his hips, his cock trembling in her grip and the silky breeze. She focused her attention on the head, watching as he faltered, his grip on the door tightening as his arousal grew. "Right?"

She released him, stepping back as he almost pitched forward in the sudden absence. She smiled knowingly. "Right."

Pacey moved toward her instinctively as the quiet sounds of conversation grew louder. She ducked around him, back into the breakfast room while he adjusted his jeans, groaning under his breath as the denim encased his cock. He could hear her soft chuckle as Bremen and Margot walked into the room, wheeling Jessica in front of them.

"I wondered where you were," he settled Jessica at the table and turned to Joey, who moved easily to his side. "Sampling the goodies before everyone else?"

"That's sort of my job," she chuckled and moved into the chair he held out for her. "But let's not reveal all my trade secrets. Otherwise you might not need me anymore."

"That, my dear," he kissed the top of her head, "will never happen."

Margot moved over to Pacey and pressed her lips together to keep from smirking. "Forget to get dressed before you came to the table?" She asked in a hushed whisper.

"Go away."

"Careful when you put the napkin on your lap. That whole 'tenting' thing is a dead giveaway."

"Can I fire you? I forget."

"You can try." She sat down next to him, leaning over. "Tell me again how important this deal is? Because I'm all confused by this submissive Pacey Witter."

"You're not invited next time, you know that?"

"So, Pacey." Bremen smiled across the table. "I was thinking about taking Joey out on the water today. She tells me she loves sailing. You don't happen to have a boat we could use, do you?"

His face stiffened as he nodded, forcing a smile. "I've got the perfect boat."

"Excellent. And I know you guys won't mind keeping Jessica company, will you?"

"Certainly not." Margot smiled for them both. "I'll show you to the dock and give you all the local info. Don't forget to bring your swimsuits. The snorkeling is wonderful this time of year."

Bremen laughed and wrapped his arm casually around Joey's shoulders as she met Pacey's eyes defiantly. "That won't be necessary."

Pacey raised an eyebrow. "You don't swim?"

Joey shook her head. "I don't wear a suit."

~**~  
Pacey lit a cigarette and immediately stubbed it out in the ashtray beside his bed. Smoke still wafted around him as he threw the covers off his body and lay there, naked on the clean white sheets, his eyes closed.

His alarm had been set to go off ten minutes ago, but he'd killed it at about five AM when he'd realized he wasn't going to get any sleep. He'd heard them return from sailing sometime after three in the morning, and he'd waited for her. She hadn't come, and yet he could still feel her around him and he hated it. He could feel her hands and her lips and her body all over him and he couldn't get her out of his mind.

He'd walked away with an only slightly guilty conscience the last time he'd seen her, but seeing her again had brought every word he'd spoken back in stereo. As angry as he'd been, as much as she'd hurt him, and as much as she'd needed a kick in the ass, he really didn't have a right to treat her the way he had.

But now he was getting it back. In spades, if she had her way. He hoped that it would only come back to haunt him personally.

"You're awake." Her voice caused his cock to jump, harden. He could hear the smile in her voice as she walked deeper into the room. "Been up all night?"

"Most of it."

"Worried I wouldn't show up again?"

"Something like that."

She was wearing a robe again, this time a short one that barely covered the dark hair at the apex of her thighs. She straddled his legs and touched his cock with the fingertips of both hands, running them down the length of him. "As long as you do exactly what I want, we'll be fine."

"As long as I do exactly what you want, I get my deal?"

She nodded and began stroking his cock in earnest. "If I remember correctly, you were always pretty decent in the morning." He reached behind him and grabbed a condom and handed it to her, daring her with his eyes to say anything. She shrugged and opened it, unrolling it over his cock. "I like owning you, you know that? I'd forgotten how," she paused as she slid onto him. "Good it feels."

He reached up and untied the robe, pushing it off her shoulders with his hands, half sitting up as she moved over his cock. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her shoulder, along her neck and up to her earlobe. He sucked the thick slip of flesh, making soft noises of pleasure as she rode him.

She came crashing around him, thick heat suffusing its way through his body as it bathed his cock. She worked her arms between them and pushed him back onto the bed, climbing off him and pulling the robe tight. She tied the silk tie and ran her fingers through his hair. "See you later."

He turned his head to watch her walk from the room, his hands curled into fists, beating the mattress in silent protest until she was gone. He ripped off the condom and wrapped his hand around his cock, stroking it to the hot smell of her that seemed to pervade his senses.

Every muscle in his body was tensed to breaking as he pictured her above him, his hand furious against his skin until he groaned his release, the hot stream staining the dark hair of his lower stomach.

"Knock, knock."

He didn't turn his head as he pulled the sheet over him, "What?"

"Harding is on his way. The copter should be here in a half hour. He's bringing a group of people with him for the afternoon and there'll be tons more tonight for the signing party." Margot leaned against the wall, a cool smirk on her face. "There will be a signing tonight?"

"So long as I keep up my end of the bargain."

"Is it worth this much to you?"

"I fucked her once and made her pay for it with her self-respect. She's getting her own back."

"And you're assuaging some guilt?"

"I don't know what the fuck I'm doing."

"Harding would never ask you to do this. Not even for a deal this big." Margot crossed her arms over her chest. "And I personally can't believe you're doing it. You're more hung up on this girl than you admit. And you're just going to let her use you and leave you lying in your bed in a puddle of your own orgasm."

"My orgasms are none of your fucking business, Margot."

"They are when they affect the fucking business, Pacey." She moved over to the side of the bed and sat down, looking at him with sad eyes. "You're going to get hurt, boss man. And I don't want to see that."

"I'll be fine, Margot. The minute this deal is signed." He smiled at her. "I promise."

"Whatever you did or said to her, Pace? It's in the past." Margot shrugged and got to her feet. "And, I have to say, whatever it was? She's fucking one of the most powerful businessmen on the east coast and," she touched him lightly on the arm, almost absently, "she's fucking one of the biggest up and comers around. Seems to me she's doing just fine for herself."

"And me?"

"Well, it seems to me, boss man, that you could be doing a hell of a lot better."

~**~  
"Tom!" Pacey jogged over the helicopter and helped his boss down. "You're just in time for the barbeque."

"Bremen signed yet?"

"I've got a good-faith agreement, but no signature until tonight. He's got a market analyst that we knew nothing about until a few hours before they landed. She's been going over everything with Margot and Jessica the past two days and we sign on the dotted line tonight."

"We'd better."

"Nothing to worry about." Pacey nodded toward the house. "Go get changed and meet us down by the beach. The food's down there already, as is most of the staff. Everything's ready for tonight and there will be no mistakes."

"I'm counting on you, Pacey."

He nodded. "I know." He stood there watching him walk away until he was past the gate and out of his sight. The helicopter had taken off while they walked and the air seemed ruffled by the noise. Grabbing his bag from where he'd dropped it on the ground, he made his way down to the beach, bracing himself for another confrontation with Joey.

~**~  
"Something to drink, Mr. Witter?"

He smiled his thanks and took a beer from the tray. He walked over to a large group of people and said his hellos, making sure he got face time with all of Harding and Bremen's constituents. After making sure everyone was comfortable, he moved over to a lounge chair and sank onto it, tugging his T-shirt over his head.

"You sure it's a good thing to show off that young body in front of all your old and stodgy counterparts?"

He didn't have to glance back to know she was sitting at a table under one of the huge beach umbrellas. He could hear the laughter in her voice; feel the heat of her gaze. "Just so long as all the carefully placed young ladies look in their direction, I'm fine."

"So you admit that women can resist your charms?"

"When they're paid enough." He kicked off his shoes and lay back, adjusting his sunglasses and closing his eyes. "And believe me, they're paid quite a bit."

"Because you're so charming?"

"When I want to be." He turned his head and smiled at her, knowing and promising all at once. "Don't tell me you've forgotten that, Jo?"

"I haven't forgotten anything. Not a word or a gesture. I haven't forgotten what it felt like to watch you fuck pretty much every random girl that walked into that bar. I haven't forgotten what it felt like to be two feet away from you while you fingered one of my friends. I haven't forgotten what it felt like…"

"To have the best fucking sex of your life?"

"You always did need to be the best, didn't you?"

"Nah," he shook his head. "I just needed reassurance from you, since half the time you were thinking of Dawson so you looked fucking miserable."

"You're awfully gutsy for a man whose balls are in my hands, aren't you?" She moved out from under the umbrella and sat in the chair next to him. "I'd think you'd be a lot more cautious given the fact that your livelihood and your career are poised on my go-ahead."

"You don't seem like my intervention in your college career had such an adverse affect on your life, Jo. You're doing well, looking good." He smirked. "And having adjoining rooms with Mr. Bremen seems to have increased your abilities to a point where you don't actually leave a man disappointed in bed."

"What?"

"You're fucking your boss, Jo."

"You're getting fucked for your boss." She stood in front of him, her body like something from a fantasy in the smallest bikini he never thought he'd see on Joey Potter. "Which one of us is a bigger whore?"

~**~  
She came out of the water and ran her hands back through her hair, raining droplets behind her. Every male eye on the beach, as well as many of the female ones, were trained on her, watching as she bent over and picked up her towel, the smooth curve of her ass directly in Pacey's line of sight.

He felt his cock stiffen as he watched the royal blue material stretch to barely cover her. Sitting up, he reached for his sunscreen, turning away from her and pouring some into his hand before reaching back over his shoulder to rub in into the skin darkened by his tattoo.

She watched him with hungry eyes as his hand moved over the sharp points of the compass. Her tongue slipped past her lips and painted them wet, looking away just before he turned around and caught her watching.

Joey lifted her arms and pulled her hair back, arching her back as she did so, her breasts jutting out, the nipples in high relief against the thin material. Pacey caught the stud between his teeth, worrying it as he watched her, his breathing shortening as she released her hair and ran her hands over her flat stomach.

With a slow grin, Pacey reached over to the table beside him and fished a strawberry off the plate there. He stuck his tongue out, curling it so the sun glanced off the metal stud before he took the bright, red fruit into his mouth. Joey watched surreptitiously as he sucked the moisture from the strawberry, his lips wrapped around it like they'd wrapped around her nipples the other night.

She sat at a table across from him, chatting with some of the others around it. She left her legs parted, the towel falling away. She ran her hand up her thigh and slipped it down, the tips of her fingers sliding beneath the dark material of her bikini bottoms. His lips parted as he watched her, openly now, as she slid them free, bringing them up to brush across her lower lip.

Pacey smiled at her, slow and seductive as he got up from the chair. Joey stiffened, wondering what he would do as he moved closer. Her lips parted in anticipation as her gaze dropped to his waist and the thick sway of his cock beneath his swim trunks. She swallowed hard as he came toward her, his gaze intent. His grin widened as she looked up, then kept watching, her eyes narrowed with annoyance as he passed her by, headed for the cool water and away from the heat of her gaze.

~**~  
She was waiting at the water's edge as he emerged, his cock still hard as he watched her, the sun glimmering off the suntan oil that covered her body. "Well, Miss Potter. Going for a dip?"

"I'll be at your room in an hour. That should give us plenty of time before the party, don't you think?"

"Time for what?" He picked his towel up off the white sand and ran it through his hair.

"You know what, Pacey." She moved closer so that she could run her hand lightly over his cock, the view of the rest of the party blocked by her body. "It would be a pity for the signing party to have no signing to celebrate."

"You're going to sign." He told her boldly, knowing now that she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. "You're going to make him sign because you know this is a great deal. And, if you don't sign, you're going to look like you've lost your magic touch." He reached down and grabbed her hand, holding it flush against his erection. "You like having power over me, Jo. I get that. Maybe you deserved to have a little after the way I treated you. But you know something? You make my cock hard, that's your power. You make me hard, but darling?" He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a low, sexy snarl, one finger snaking between her thighs and under the material of her bathing suit. "I make you wet."

He walked off, making sure she was watching as he slid his finger into his mouth, licking away the taste of her. He grabbed his shirt off his chair then started toward the house, ignoring the urge to look back over his shoulder.

~**~  
Pacey leaned against the heated tile of the shower, feeling the spray beat down on his back. He inhaled the sharply scented steam before turning, letting the water hit his chest and slide down his body.

Shaking his thoughts away, he reached out and turned off the water, taking one last deep breath before stepping out of the shower and grabbing his towel. He wrapped it around his waist and wiped the mirror with his hand, swirling away the fog.

As he did so, his eyes fell on his watch and he took another deep breath, moving out of the bathroom into his room. The plush carpet teased his bare feet as he headed for the dresser, pulling out socks and boxers and tossing them on the bed.

He turned, half expecting her to have materialized, sprawled naked across his mattress. Half expecting. Half hoping. He walked to the empty bed and grabbed his boxers, dropping them when he heard the doorknob turn.

His heart sped up, his blood rushed down to flood his cock. He headed for the door, reminding himself that he could not let her in. Would not. He'd worked too long and too hard to get where he was to let her destroy it. Destroy him.

His hand was on the lock, the muscles in his arms straining against the desire to turn it.

"Aren't you going to let me in?"

He nearly groaned, forcing himself to release the doorknob and turn away, his back to the door.

"Let me in."

"You going to threaten me if I don't?" He didn't recognize his own voice. He closed his eyes and laid his head back on the door.

"You know you want to. You want me. You want to feel my hands on your body. You want to feel me touch you. You want my hands tracing over your back, you want my mouth on your cock. You want to feel me come all around you. You know you do."

He nodded, knowing she couldn't see him. His eyes closed, he pictured her leaning against the other side of the door, her hands against his shoulders, her mouth whispering words against his tattoo. "God damn it," her voice was a harsh, needy whisper. "Let me in."

"Go away, Potter," he managed throatily. "I've got better things to do." He pushed away from the door and forced himself to walk over to the bed. He tossed the towel onto the bed, starting to dress. He listened for her as he put on his socks and boxers, walking to the door as he shrugged on his shirt and buttoned it.

He rested his forehead against the door for a moment then pulled away, wondering where he could fit a pack of cigarettes in his tux.

~**~  
Margot leaned closer to Pacey and raised her eyebrows. "You look like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs."

"What?"

"Relax, boss man." She touched the sleeve of his tuxedo jacket and nodded in the direction of their mutual boss. "Harding looks like he just had some young slut suck his cock."

"Probably did." Pacey took a drink from the glass in his hand. "I need a cigarette."

"No, you don't. You need to relax. The deal is done. Tonight is just a formality. You yourself told me that. So calm the fuck down before I get inherit your nervousness and spill wine on my very nice dress."

He grinned and took the glass out of her hand, setting it on a nearby table. "It is a very nice dress." She was wearing a simple, black sheath that clung lovingly to her curves. "In fact, if I weren't your boss, I'd probably proposition you clumsily and hope that my puppy-dog eyes would get you to take me up to your room."

"Fuck no," she laughed. "I've seen the woman who's still obsessed with you even though she hasn't seen you in ten years. I'm not letting your dick get within five feet of me."

"Should I move a few feet away?"

"It'd probably be best." She picked up her wine and took a sip. "Seriously, Pace. Relax."

"I can't relax until that piece of paper is signed."

"It's a good deal and it's not going to go sour this late in the game. You told me your little girlfriend wouldn't risk her reputation as the golden goose, no matter what you did, so I don't see why you're so worried."

"I'm going off evidence gathered from growing up with her. People change."

"Not about stuff like this."

"The girl I grew up with…I could never have pictured her as the girl I fucked in college."

Margot shrugged and took another sip. "I think that wasn't a fundamental personality change, Pace. From what you told me, I think she just got lost. And maybe, through truly rat-bastardish means, you helped her find her way again." He made a face and she smiled. "Of course, I could be wrong and she could be planning on having your balls as an appetizer."

"It's a really good thing you're good at your job, Margot."

She rested her hand on her shoulder and pulled him down so that she could kiss his cheek. "I know." Pacey chuckled as she released him, dropping down from her tiptoes. She turned to look at the ballroom doors and sighed. "Brace yourself."

He turned, lifting his glass to his lips to hide his expression from the crowd. Mr. Bremen had just walked in with Joey on his arm. His eyes glanced over Bremen and focused on Joey. He tilted his glass away from his lips to keep from spilling expensive bourbon down his shirt.

"Holy shit," he breathed.

Her hair was piled on top of her head, long, loose tendrils fluttering around her face like honeybees around a flower. Her eyes shone with humor and her cheeks were tinged pink. Her lips looked full and soft and swollen and he could feel his cock harden at the mere thought of them.

"She's just another girl," Margot reminded him.

The words fell on deaf ears as his gaze traveled lower. She was wearing white and flowing and gold trimmed, though his brain couldn't process if it was a dress or a toga. One sleeve was falling off her shoulder and she looked like statues he'd seen of Aphrodite when he'd sailed to Greece.

"Holy fucking shit."

Her breasts were pushed up, looking fuller than he knew they were. The material hung loosely over them, but not so loosely that he couldn't tell, even from the distance, that she wasn't wearing much as far as lingerie went.

"It's not like you've never fucked her."

It hugged her stomach like a lover, a diamond shaped cut in the center showing off her flat stomach and belly button before the bottom edge of it dipped down precariously low. He followed the stretch of tanned skin to more material, falling just to the top of her thigh before she moved her leg and the split fell open, showing off an ample portion of her upper thigh.

"Sweet fucking Jesus."

Her legs seemed impossibly long, and he was pretty sure she was sexier than he'd ever seen her. She wore sex better than the dress, draped over her like an invisible shawl. He let his eyes move down her leg to the white heels she was wearing and shifted uncomfortably as he pictured the stark white against the deep black of his tux.

By now, Margot's voice was full of disgust. "You're drooling." Pacey took a step forward, and Margot grabbed his arm, turning him to face her. "No."

"What?"

"She's walking in on Bremen's fucking arm, Pacey, and his wife is here. Do you know what that means? That means he doesn't give a shit who knows he's fucking her. Do you get that? He doesn't care if his wife knows."

"So?" He tried to pull away but her grip was curled in his jacket.

"So if you barge in over there, all hot and bothered for his fucking mistress, this deal is done. And it's your fault, you got that?"

Pacey inhaled deeply and nodded, releasing the breath only when Margot released him. "I got it."

"And you're not going to march over there and grab her like some fucking barbarian?"

"Nope. I'm going to go the bar and get plastered like some random dickhead."

"That's the best idea you've had all night."

~**~  
She sat next to Bremen on one of the loveseats near Harding, leaning into him, her breasts brushing against his suit jacket. Her leg was against his as well and Pacey swallowed another shot of bourbon. He put his glass back on the bar and tapped it.

"You sure, Mr. Witter?"

"Damn sure, Pete."

He shrugged and poured. "Your liver."

Joey put her hand on Bremen's shoulder and leaned in to whisper something to him. She brought her other hand around and Pacey swallowed hard, as he saw the back of the dress for the first time. It was scooped all the way down to the top curve of her ass, the material gathered by a gold cuff that held it in place.

Pacey downed the rest of his drink as Mr. Harding waved him over. He set the glass on the bar with a sigh and headed to the small enclave that they were all sitting in, trying hard not to watch Joey. She settled back slightly in her chair and gave him a liquid smile.

"Tom." Pacey shook his boss's hand and sank into an empty chair. "Jim. Miss Potter."

"Pacey." Bremen leaned forward. "Now, it's not something I'd normally say, but I have to tell you, I've never seen a man finesse a deal the way you did this. Even without Joey's approval, I'd been hard pressed to refuse. You talk a good game, son."

"He always did," Joey said with a smile.

"I don't know what I'd do without Joey's brains behind our business." Bremen's hand settled on Joey's thigh, his thumb stroking it lightly. Pacey felt his face flush. "But I understand you're looking into a project, Tom?"

Pacey's interest instantly turned to his boss. First he'd heard.

"I do have something I'd like Joey to look over. If you wouldn't mind?"

"I don't mind, do I, Jo?"

She shook her head. "Never have so far."

Pacey stood and she watched him with dark eyes. "I just saw Dave Linden. I've got to run. Excuse me, won't you?" He walked past her without a glance, headed straight for the bar, feeling her eyes on him.

He hadn't even taken his first drink when she was beside him. "What the fuck was that about?"

"You're going to just let him pass you around like…" Pacey shook his head, too angry to speak. He downed the entire glass and glared at her. "I guess you haven't changed much at all, Joey. You're still the same Worthington whore, on her knees for whatever trust fund cock wants her." Her eyes were wide as he whispered the words vehemently. "Only now your title's a little more refined than class fuck and the bathroom walls are in boardrooms instead of bars."

He slid off his stool so that his body was pressed against hers, the crush of the ongoing party wrapped around them. He could feel her nipples, hard and tight against his chest, his cock pressed to her thigh.

"At least I never called you a cheap whore, Joey. From the looks of you, you're anything but cheap."

~**~  
Joey followed him out into the hall, her face a mask of fury. She grabbed his shoulder and shoved him, sending him stumbling into the wall. He turned around and she was there, pressed against him, her leg between both of his. "You want me to be your whore? Is that what you really want? Because that's what you seem to like. You want to debase me? You want to demean me? You want to see me beg?" She refused to let him respond, her breath hot and heavy against his skin. "Well, fuck you."

She reached down and unzipped his pants, sliding her hand underneath his boxers. Her fingers wrapped around the hard shaft, stroking him. His hands curled into fists as she ran her thumb over the tip, spreading the thick moisture over the swollen head.

"I don't beg for anyone. And certainly not you. You think you're the best fuck I ever had, but you're so wrong. You're not even in the top fucking ten." Her hand kept moving, her other hand forcing the zipper lower so that she could slip her other hand in and cup his balls. "You're just an average lay with delusions of grandeur and the only reason you got your cock near me was because I wanted to fuck with your head one more time."

Pacey's hips arched away from wall as she nibbled along the length of his neck. "I like the way your cock feels, I'll admit that, but you could stand a refresher course in what to do with it." Her hand concentrated on the tip, increasing her speed in time with is panted breath. She could feel him tense and pulled her hand away, stepping back as he slumped against the wall.

"I may be a whore," she told him with a vicious smile. "But I'm sure as hell not yours."

~**~  
Pacey stormed into the party, heading in the direction of the dance floor where Joey was wrapped up in Bremen's arms. He started toward her, stopped when Margot stepped in front of him. "No."

"Fuck you, no."

"No." Margot stared into his blue eyes and held them, her own anger clear in hers. "There's absolutely no fucking way you're walking over there."

"There's absolutely no fucking way you're stopping me."

"Pacey? I don't want to have to break in a new boss."

He took a deep breath, trying to get under control. "I don't know whether I want to grab her and fuck her or strangle her."

"It doesn't matter what you want to do, Pace. There's only one man in this room she's interested in fucking right now." Margot looked over her shoulder at Joey as the brunette slid her hand over Bremen's chest under his jacket.

"If only that were true," Pacey bit out. "Bremen's fucking passing her around like she's a…" He laughed bitterly. "Like she's exactly what she is."

Margot pursed her lips together. "Walk away from her, Pacey."

He looked down at her, saw the concern behind the anger in her eyes. "You gonna kick her ass?"

"If she keeps fucking with my boss? Quite possibly."

Pacey leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I'll leave then." He didn't look at Joey as he paused, bending down to kiss Margot on the lips, his tongue pushing past her lips, his arms pulling her closer. He released her and stepped back. "You're going to kick my ass for that."

She nodded, dazed. "As soon as the feeling comes back."

His finger trailed across her cheek. "Then I'll wait till then to apologize."

~**~  
Pacey was halfway to the stairway when he felt her hands on him, grabbing him and shoving him back into a small alcove, knocking something white and porcelain to the floor. His jacket was off of him, his shirt ripped open beneath his bowtie and her hands scraping across his chest.

"Are you fucking her?"

His hands were on her thighs, gathering the silky white material and pulling it upward, separating the material at the slit and feeling her even silkier flesh. "Do you really fucking care?"

She mumbled her no into his mouth as their lips met in a hard kiss, teeth and lips and tongue grinding together as his hand slipped between her thighs and found the wetness between them. He buried two fingers inside her as she pulled his shirt from his pants and slid her arms around his waist, pushing upwards.

With his free hand, Pacey unfastened his tie and let it drop as she shoved his shirt off of him. As soon as his shirt was gone, she unfastened his pants and pushed them down his body, trapping him as they coiled around his thighs. He listened to her gasp and whimper as his thumb moved over her clit, his fingers thrusting up inside her as she tried to strip him.

Joey groaned as she came, a mixture of relief and despair as he released her. He kissed her again, feeling her suck his tongue into her mouth, worrying the stud as he grabbed her ass and lifted her, not caring about anything as he slid inside her welcoming heat, turning so that he could pin her to the wall with his weight as he pushed up inside her, pinning her even further with every thrust of his cock.

With his body holding her, he moved his hands up to unravel her hair, letting it fall in a silky waterfall around her shoulders, his fingers winding through it as he sucked on her neck. "I belong inside you, Jo. Oh God, it feels so good inside you."

She sucked on his collarbone, her hands exploring his back, her fingernails raking over his right shoulder, digging into the tattoo. "Just…just fuck me. Fuck me like you hate me, fuck me like you love me." Tears were trailing down her face, his own loss of control reflected in her eyes as she continued to kiss him, suck on his skin. "Please? Just fuck me, please?"

He pulled her hair lightly, bringing her face up away from his neck so that he could kiss her, pushing his tongue inside her as he grabbed the wall behind her and pushed up into her with a harsh, lonely cry of passion, the haunting sound buried in her eager mouth. She met his passion with equal measure, her orgasm crashing into his as her legs locked around his and her head slammed back against the dark wood of the wall.

They pulled away from each other, both shell-shocked. Her eyes were wide and frightened, her lower lip trapped between her teeth. Pacey backed away, doing his best to put himself together. He managed to fasten his slacks as Joey pushed her dress down her body and pushed past him, disappearing into the ballroom without a word.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, gathering up his destroyed clothing and heading for the stairway, not looking back.

~**~  
He lit the cigarette as he heard the cheer rise up following the toast and held it loosely in his fingers. He rested his hand against the balcony railing and inhaled the sharp night air. The cool breeze danced across his bare chest, rippling his silk pajama bottoms. He sighed and rolled his neck, wincing as it popped.

His breathing had almost returned to normal, his heart still pounding from the collision with Joey downstairs. He rolled his neck again, wincing as the skin pulled tight over his shoulder.

He could hear voices drifting up from the party, toasting his hard work, wondering where he was. He lifted the cigarette up to his lips and dropped it before taking a hit. The bedroom door opened behind him. His hands were shaking.

She didn't make a sound as she came up behind him, her body pressed to his. She was naked, her nipples hard against his back as she raised her hand to touch his shoulder, her fingers tracing over the tracks her nails had left through his tattoo.

"Did I hurt you?"

He could feel the heat of her body through the thin material. He stubbed out the cigarette and swallowed as she caressed the torn flesh. "No more than I deserved."

"I'm not sleeping with him."

"Could have fooled me."

"Does it bother you?"

"Should it?"

Her fingernail barely touched him as she pointed to the top. "Where does it point?"

"Nowhere. I told you that before."

She removed her fingers, listening to his relieved sigh before she began tracing the dark blue marking with the tip of her tongue. "I graduated from Worthington with honors. After you left…" She sucked lightly, tasting sweat and smoke on his skin. "You wrecked me, you know. When you left the first time, when you left the second."

He let his head roll back as he closed his eyes. She closed her own as she kissed his tanned flesh. He didn't respond to her other than to shiver slightly as her hands settled on his hips, rubbing the warm skin above the low-slung pajama bottoms.

"I hated you," she whispered, her teeth grazing him. "I hated what you said and what you did and how you made me feel. I hated that you saw me that way, I hated that that was what I was."

"Jo…"

"So I changed, because I wasn't going to let you get the best of me. I wasn't going to give you the satisfaction of seeing me fall." She laughed softly, the room warm with the sound. "But you were gone and I realized that you really didn't give a shit."

"Jo…"

"Until I saw you here. And you can't hide it. You could then because you were mad or angry or…whatever. But now…" She touched him, turned him around. "I asked him to act like we were sleeping together because I wanted to hurt you. He and his wife are like parents to me, and they both agreed. I wanted to make you feel like I felt when I saw you with all those other girls. When you fucked them in front of me, when you looked at me like I was less than nothing."

Pacey stared down at her with dark, unreadable eyes before turning away, facing the palm trees swaying in the breeze.

"I wanted to…I wanted to hurt you, because you don't love me."

"You really think I don't love you?"

She touched his tattoo once more, tracing the numbers she'd memorized, that she'd figured out were the latitude and longitude of where the True Love had sunk years before. "Where does it point to, Pacey?"

His body contracted as she spoke his name, his voice broke. "Nowhere."

She kissed the tattoo, her tongue licking the dark lines as she slid her arms around his waist, pulling at the drawstring tie that secured his pajama bottoms. "Where are we going?"

He turned around and lifted her, staring into her eyes as he carried her to bed. He lay her down gently and leaned over her. His blue eyes, like hers, were full of unsure emotion and nothing like promises as he kissed her softly. "Nowhere."


End file.
